A Little Bit Of Adams County Indiana History

This county was named in honor of President Adams. The surface is level, being beautifully undulating in some quarters. There are no barren lands, and but little wet prairie. There is a considerable portion of bottom lands, but the greater portion of the county is upland, heavily timbered. In some of the wet prairies of this county we find the water-shed from which the waters run both toward the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi. In these swampy sections are definable traces of beaver dams. The soil is mixed clay and marl, and is said to improve with continued cultivation. Timber was originally in abundance, consisting of oak, hickory, buckeye, ash, beech, elm, lynn, walnut, sycamore, poplar, and cottonwood. The principal water courses are the Wabash and St. Mary's rivers. In this county they are about equal in size, their average breadth being about one hundred and fifty feet. The St. Mary's was formerly navigated by flat boats, but is now obstructed with mill dams. This county has made good progress in agriculture, commerce and education.   Decatur is the county seat, and is but twenty-one miles from Fort "Wayne. It is a flourishing city, with excellent incorporated schools, substantial buildings, well kept streets, and thriving commercial interests, with good railroad facilities. Adams County is divided into 12 Civil Townships as follows: Blue Creek, French, Hartford, Jefferson, Kirkland, Monroe, Preble, Root, St. Marys, Union, Wabash and Washington.

Surrounding Counties
Allen County (north)
Van Wert County, Ohio (northeast)
Mercer County, Ohio (southeast)
Jay County (south)
Wells County (west)